Thursday September 30 2010

I took Mom to the Sleep Dr yesterday and got a good report on her Apnea.
Her baseline test was 43 episodes of Apnea for the sleep period during the test (I am sure it was not 8 hours). With the CPAP she is down to 4.3 episodes during an 8 hour sleep period. Her O2 level is great and her blood pressure was perfect. She is walking very cautiously and taking it slow and easy. Her face is still bruised but she has not been in any pain to speak of with her elbow and wrist. She has admitted that she needs more help during the day so they have increased the hours of assistance they are getting each day. She is still sharp as a tack and we accomplished some "high finance bidness" at the bank on the way home.

Dad is doing well even though he thinks he gained too much weight since the last time he was at the oncologist...3 lbs. I guess he is nostalgic about being at 160 lbs. after his bypass. I told him to do a few more reps with his weights and elastic bands...he does his exercise routine religiously but I told him he was not breaking a sweat. He is still drinking almost a half gallon of water each day which brings his sodium level down not to mention having to go to the toidy "upteen gillion" times a day.

Mom mentioned that we needed to start thinking about what they would be wearing to Rachel's wedding. I don't think his bright blue shorts and polo shirt will work. Maybe the khaki shorts....

It is hard to believe that in 3 weeks and 2 daze my baby girl is going to change our lives forever...sigh.

God is good!

Wednesday September 22

Update from Nancy

Took Mom to the Ortho this morning and shock of all shocks - they were actually on time today!!!:) We didn't have to wait hardly at all!

They x-rayed her elbow and wrist again. She has fractures in both.
They are not bad enough for a cast/splint so she will wear a sling for another 3 weeks and go back to the doc again on 10/13 for a check up.

She still isn't in much pain but had more trouble sleeping last night. She's upset that her "independence" is now quelled again but she also knows that God is in control.

Thanks to those who still monitor this blog and have responded. I will pass your emails and notes along to Mom and Dad. You have been and still are part of the cures/recoveries/etc. God bless you all.

God is good.

Monday September 20

It has been a couple of months.

Dad has been doing great!
Dad says he is getting weaker and may be but he is getting up and down from his chair with much more ease and vigor than a year ago. He does get tired toward the end of the day. They have enjoyed many visits from a variety of friends from different decades in the last 2 months as well as talking to many of you via phone.

Today, the caregiver and Mom were taking Dad to an oncologist appointment and Mom tripped over a slight rise in the sidewalk and landed very hard on her left side. She banged up her elbow, chin, cheek, and eye. They were able to xray her in the office and the initial read by the doctor indicated that no bones were broken. He sent them home and told them he would have the radiologist review the pictures and contact them if he found anything. Nancy came and escorted them home. I left for a doctors appointment and got a text from Nancy saying that they were on the way to the orthopedic clinic. Mom did have a fracture in her elbow. They put her in a cast and told her they needed to see her on Wednesday. I am also worried about her wrist. It was swollen and they did not take pictures of it in particular. I will update when we know more.

I ask for your prayers for them again tonight.

God is good!

Pawpaw and Ads

Sunday June 20 Fathers Day

I missed Mother's Day and a few others in between so I will do a brief synopsis of the last 2+ months for those of you who might still be checking in on this blog.

Mother's foot has completely healed and her surgeon is very pleased. She has had no trouble walking and driving (although she will not venture out on 540 anymore). Mom is tending to a few plants in a patio garden. Her tomato plant looks good after a rough start but has not produced any fruit yet. Dad has been giving advice but I don't think he is used to potting soil that does not contain rocks in it.

Dad is doing very well. At the last edition we were heading to the cardiologist. We waited for 45 minutes and Dad finally went to the window and explained he had other things to do. So they ushered us back to a room where a couple of interns came in and asked a few questions just to pass the time. After another 45 minutes I went to the nurses desk and told them we were leaving and to call us when the Dr wasn't so busy or to send the lab reports to dad's GP, he always kept his appointments. So the nurse came in and went over the lab report and we never saw the doctor. Basically, the report was good. Dad's sodium level was low so she asked Dad if he was drinking a lot of water and he said yes (he was going through about 3 quarts a day as well as coffee and tea). She asked if it was because he was thirsty or if he just liked water. He said I just like to drink a lot of water. She told him to cut back a bit, Dad said why don't I just add a little salt to my food. I think he has cut back on the H2O some but not much.

His pulmonologist has cut him loose, which is good, in the words of Forrest Gump, "one less thing".

Dad is really doing very well. He seems stronger than ever and is walking without the weakness that he battled for the first year after the by-pass. They have cut back on the number of hours that they use outside help and seem to be managing fairly well.

Dad is on the phone a lot calling relatives, former students, and church members. This past weekend, my much older (11 months, we are currently the same age) sister Suzanne, and her daughter and grands came up for her 40th high school reunion and stayed the weekend with Mom and Dad. The great-grands kept them hopping and gave them a break in the peace and quiet. They have some new neighbors but have not been able to catch them and introduce themselves. They aren't used to neighbors who disappear so quickly.

A middle school student asked Dad if she could interview him about his army life for a school project. I think this is the 3rd or 4th time he has done this over the years starting with his grand kids. I rounded up some pictures for them and she was very pleased with the project.

We have had two graduations this spring. Nathan did get his Masters and Rachel won her Bachelors degree. Rachel's fiancee came down from Vermont during his academic break and we had a good visit with him. We got a few wedding details out of the way but still have much to do.

We have not been out to see Mom and Dad yet today, all of my kids are here as well as Adalynn but we will get out to see them when Ads wakes up from her nap.

For those of you who are interested, Dad wrote his biography a few years ago mainly as a way for us kids and grand kids to have a since of their ancestry. Cindy did the yoeman's work on compling and publishing it. I have been trying to insert pictures into the document over the past few months and have gotten about half way through. I have put a link at the top of the blog if you are interested in delving into it. Dad wrote it the way he talks so you will be able to recognize the "character" in the writting. I was re-reading it last night and thought it would be a good Father's Day post.

Two suggestions to make it easier to read online:
1. At the bottom of the page there is a Button that says "Scroll", you can click on the down arrow to change the way you view the document.
2. At the top click the "Full Screen" link.

Hope all of you are well and that you forgive me not being a better reporter.

Happy Father's Day to all of you fathers and to all of you who had something to do with making us fathers, fathers.

God is good!

Tuesday

Nancy took Mom back to the surgeon today to let him have a look at her foot. He was pleased with the healing but wants her to continue to take it easy for another 2 weeks. Once again she didn't get to wear her shoe home, but he did say that she could progress toward smaller bandages over the next few days and maybe put on a slipper soon.

Nancy said that they went grocery shopping after the appointment and Mom did well walking around the store. She said energy level was good. When I talked to Mom, she said that she could still feel some "blips" with her heart but that she would just ignore it and go on with what she was doing.

Dad spent a good bit of the day on the phone with former students and with Louise Logue. Mom said that he has been exercising more and seems to be as strong as he has been in a long time. I just hope it doesn't lead to over-confidence and carelessness. I will be taking him to the cardiologist tomorrow to get the results of the lab work from last week.

God is good.

Easter Sunday

The tomb is empty!
I didn't make it to sunrise service this morning (we let Nathan "Mag'dalene" represent for us this morning) but we had a wonderful regular service. I hope you experienced God's redemption through a fresh channel today.

Mom has been heeding the doctors suggestions and has not been obsessing over BP and pulse the last few days. Dad said that she has seemed like a different person, so hopefully her anxiety about the last few weeks is behind her and she can get back to normal. She may have high expectations about what the doctor will allow her to do after her visit this week, specifically driving. The wound is much larger than I thought and I doubt she will be able to put enough pressure on it to drive this week. I think Nancy is planning on taking her to her appointment on Tuesday and I will take Dad to the cardiologist on Wednesday.

Charlotte and I have been blessed to have had our granddaughter with us for an extended period of time over the last 10 days or so. She is approaching her third birthday and is smart, cute, creative and more and more interactive. She talked with Dad on the phone the other day for about 5 minutes. She walked around with the phone tucked between her chin and shoulder just chattering away. She would hold different objects up to the phone as if Dad could see them and tell him the story behind each one. Dad really got a kick out of it.

John.20
[1] Now on the first day of the week Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
[11] But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb;
[16] Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rab-bo'ni!" (which means Teacher).
[18] Mary Mag'dalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

He has risen, He has risen indeed!

God is good!

Wednesday

I got a call at work this morning from Dad. Mom was not feeling well again and wanted to go see their GP. I asked about her symptoms and they were about the same as the past two days. The main concern was whether they indicated a heart issue. They couldn't get an appointment earlier than 11:30, which unfortunately coincided with the time the caregiver was scheduled to leave. I made a few calls and sent a few texts to find someone to stay with Dad while I took Mom. I am very grateful to my boss who did not hesitate to tell me to go, even after taking off a half a day on Tuesday and being short handed today. Our oldest son Adam called and said that he had to be in Fayetteville later that day and would look in on Dad. I guess he had called Nathan to get more details and he told me that Nathan said that he could come stay with Dad and study there. I had not called Nate because I knew he was finishing up his thesis defense and because he has done so much to help Mom and Dad out but when he found out he came over without hesitation. Charlotte and I are blessed to have four wonderful kids.

I picked up Mom and we went over exactly what her symptoms were as we drove to the office. While the general lethargy, irregular heart beat and aching neck could indicate onset of heart attack, she had not had any shortness of breath or edema. She did not have a temperature or other indications of infection.

We got in to see the doctor fairly quickly. Mom's BP was 102/40 according to the first reading by the nurse and the second was 122/40. This was not even close to what Mom had gotten at home. Dr Salmon listened as Mom gave him the history of the last 3 or 4 weeks. He was especially interested in the events after her surgery and the change in dosage of BP meds as well as yesterday's events.

After lengthy discussion and explanation he told Mom that he didn't think anything serious was going on with her heart and that most likely:
1)her body was telling her that it did not appreciate the trauma of the surgery and was simply needing to recover;
2)the anxiety of waiting on the test results wasn't helping the recovery and since she got good news about the melanoma that should provide some relief.
He recommended:
1)that she try not to stress about the current symptoms, he explained that heart patients often fixate on their condition and develop "cardiac awareness" where they hear and feel irregularities more acutely simply because they are so focused on their condition
2)that she go back to the original dose of BP Rx. If she continued to have constant high readings that they could try a different med. He explained that BP fluctuates throughout the day and that none of the readings that we reported were at dangerous levels unless they base lined at those levels. He also wanted her not to check BP more than two or three times a day for a couple of reasons, mostly that the readings themselves could cause stress if it was high or low and she started worrying about that single snap shot. It could also constrict the blood vessels in her arm causing false readings. (We are not even sure if the digital machine is correctly calibrated anyway)

I told him that the cardiologist that saw Mom at the hospital had set up an appointment for a stress test and wondered if he thought that was a good idea at this time. He said that after the battery of test they did at the hospital did not indicate any heart attack and since her body was obviously under duress he said that he would recommend that we cancel that appointment. I think Mom was relieved to hear that, I know I was.

Finally, I wanted his opinion on the swelling in her right leg, which is the one that both the hip replacement and the melanoma affected. He said that it was not unusual under the circumstances but he thought it would be a good idea to have imaging to do a sonogram to make sure that there were no blood clots from the surgery. So he ordered it for us and we took a trip down stairs and had that done. The images were clear so we were on our way.

When we got back to the apartment, we found Charlotte had come and relieved Nathan and as we were leaving, Adam drove up. Once again I am blessed.

Please pray for Mom and Dad as they continue to face their challenges.

God is good.

Tuesday

Mom rewind:
Last Tuesday Nathan took time from his Masters studies to take Mom to a follow up visit to the surgeon to check the stitches in her foot. He wanted to leave them in another week. Then on Thursday to the oncologist for CT and PET scans. She had to drink a refreshing barium cocktail and lay still for a couple of hours during the scans. Fun time had by all.

Today I took Mom in for the results. When I picked her up, I could tell immediately that all was not well. I asked her if she felt alright and she said "No, I don't feel good." She told me that her irregular heartbeat had flared up Wednesday afternoon and her BP was elevated.

I had a hunch that she was apprehensive about the test results and asked her if she was nervous. She said yes. While I have had some concern lurking during the week,I felt fairly confident that we would get a positive report since the lymph nodes showed no sign of the melanoma spreading. I did not, however, realized how much it was weighing on Mom.

As we sat in the waiting room, reality after reality walked through the door. There was a foreboding air of dread and uncertainty permeating the room. The variety of bandannas, hats and baseball caps indicated that many of our fellow "wait-tients" were veterans of the office and knew what awaited them in the back rooms. Several were in and out in minutes but all had colorful bandages around their forearms as they left.
The cast of body language was as divergent as the head gear. Knees bobbing like pistons, stoic eyes avoiding contact with others, whispered conversations, anxiety straining to dissolve a brave face, ambivalent ears waiting for the nurses inevitable call, and all the while the high-def TV ran through it's programing without a single glance directed toward it.

The sheer number of our fellows coming and going indiscriminate of race, sex, age or status had a chilling affect my psyche. I became aware of my confidence sharing a teeter-totter with doubt.

A smiling voice summoned us to a hall less traveled where we met Mickey, "like the mouse", who was conspicuously well dressed, professional but with an updated eye for fashion, unlike the scrub clad voices from the other hall. She escorted us through the maze of offices, nurses stations, and examining rooms to a converted storage room that was bisected by a folding modesty screen. There was a desk and a couple of chairs very no-tech, no computer, no phone.

I was amused and confused but Mickey soon explained that she was a social worker for a non-profit organization that provided an array of services for the oncology group in northwest Arkansas. She asked Mom if she would mind filling out a short questionnaire so that she could appraise what services that she might use if the need (diagnosis) arose. We were impressed with the wide range of support they offered oncology patients and Mickey skillfully chose her words so as not to arouse anxiety. Mom graciously took all the information and Mickey took us back out to the waiting room where a whole new company of characters had taken seats.

A friend and former colleague of mine who had been through an arduous year and a half of treatments came in and came over to say hello. She had doffed the hats and turbans several months ago and was not about to hide her new do under a rag. Her smile, energy, and optimism boosted our morale. I don't believe in omens, but she is a Jones girl too.

Finally, we were invited down the other hall past two rows of tourniquet bearers to a generic examining room. An aide checked vitals(BP 160/61 and pulse of 90 bpm), a nurse verified history, and then the "messenger". I think the doc may have been auditioning for General Hospital because he introduced himself, took a long serious look at the folder and after a dramatic pause said, "Mrs Jones, I don't see much here." The scans don't show anything but old scars from previous battles. He did want to do another round of scans in 3 or 4 months to satisfy his diagnosis on a couple of lymph nodes that looked like they had been beat up in an earlier fight, but he saw no reason to recommend any further treatment. Mom got out her list of questions and he answered everyone and was impressed that she had a list. He took time to listen to Mom's heart and lungs and asked about her symptoms from yesterday evening and this morning. He thought that anxiety probably had a lot to do with it.

We left with relief in our hearts if not on our faces.

We walked two doors down to let the surgeon's nurse remove the stitches from Mom's foot. She was hoping to be able to wear her shoe home, but that will have to wait another week.

I called to check on Mom after work and her BP was 140/60 and pulse was down to 60.

Tonight we pray for all who need hope.

God is good!

Sunday

Charlotte and I took Adalynn to Dumas this weekend to see Charlotte's Mom and the rest of the Gill clan. Cindy and Mike came up to spend Saturday and Sunday with Mom and Dad until Spring Sprung a 12" snow leak. They headed back to Conway during the teeth of the storm.

Mom and Dad's assistant couldn't make it in on Sunday so they managed on their own. Both are suffering from colds and Dad seems to have the worst of it. Charlotte had to go get antibiotics for heir's before we left. Mom said that they couldn't get the thermometer to work to check Dad's temp today so we will have to check it tomorrow. The bug going around ends up as nasty chest congestion so we need to nip this in the bud if we can.

Nancy and Madeline were able to navigate the roads to see them for a while this afternoon. They are supposed to leave for NYC tomorrow...hopefully they will be able to catch their flight.

I will try to get by to check on them tomorrow.

The snow is pretty but is proving to be a nuisance and wreaking havoc on spring break plans. So much for working in the garden and yard! Snowman...get ready Adalynn has big plans for you.

God is good.

Tuesday

Let me get caught up on Mom. She was doing well after we got her home until Saturday. Her BP dropped to about 114/40 with a pulse of 40 bpm. She called the doctor and was told to go back to the original dose of BP med. By Sunday she was back to more normal rates. BP still a little high but not as high as when she left the hospital.
I took Mom and Dad to the doctors this morning. Dad in for some lab work for a future appointment with the cardiologist and Mom to the dermatologist for a follow up. Dad insisted on getting in the back seat of the van so that Mom could sit in front. Not a good idea. Will need to put in a transfer device of some kind before we try that again.
Mom was next to the dermatologist to check stitches and get the word on the pathology of the lymph node. GOOD NEWS, the report showed no spreading of the melanoma. She will still go see an oncologist to determine if any chemo is needed but the doctor did not think it would be necessary. Just regular checks for the next 5 years.
Mom is supposed to go in for a stress test with the cardiologist next week but she says that she may skip that. She is convinced that the chest pain was from the anesthesia.
Both Mom and Dad are doing as well as can be expected although both have come down with colds. Dad walked a long distance on Sunday while the weather was nice. He said that he hasn't walked that far since he got out of the hospital. I appreciate Bill getting him up and out while he is there on the weekends.
Once again your notes, calls and prayers are very much appreciated and we cannot express our gratitude enough.

God is good!

Tribute at Tom's Memorial Celebration

If you would like to download this to your computer you can do so at the following link:
https://rcpt.yousendit.com/833683780/022d4cbe7b23ff41e6581c75e7ad526e
(you will have to cut and paste, the insert link function on blogger apparently doen't work)

Depart now in the fellowship of God the Father
And as you go remember:
In the Goodness of God you were born into this world
By the Grace of God you have been kept all the daylong even unto this hour
And by the Love of God fully revealed in the face of Jesus
You are being redeemed.
John Claypool

God is good!

Wednesday

Finally got Mom home.
The cardiologist was hesitant to let Mom go because her BP was higher than she wanted. I assured her that if she let her go home her BP would drop. All vitals save BP were good. Cardiogram looked good. Mom was ready, no pain other than sitting around waiting. I relieved Jamie around 2:30 p.m. so he could head back to LR. We finally left the hospital around 3:30 p.m. Dad ecstatic to see Mom and Mom was ecstatic to see anybody without a white coat and stethoscope. The checkout nurse could not believe that Mom was in no pain. She gave us a prescription for pain meds but unless something changes we will not have to fill it.
Jamie and I were mis-informed about all of the test results on the melanoma. We do not have an all clear on the lymph node yet. The patologist has not read it yet and we will not have a definitive answer on it until Tuesday.

Jamie, thanks for taking the lead on this episode and for extending your stay to be with Dad and running the hospital show! I have a wonderful family (even if they are mis-guided on their politics). (Jib Jab).

Eph.3
[14] For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
[15] from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
[16] that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man,
[17] and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
[18] may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
[19] and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fulness of God.
[20] Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,
[21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

God is good!

Tuesday

Jamie took Mom in at around 10 a.m. to have isotope injection to check for movement in the melanoma cells. Those test didn't show any movement. I got to the hospital around 12:45 p.m. and was able to see Mom before she went into surgery. I let her call Dad before they wheeled her away. This has been harder on him than her.
We were hoping that the surgery would start earlier than planned but it actually started late. I left Jamie to hold down the waiting room while I got us some lunch. I expected her to be out of OR by the time I got back only to find that they had not even started yet.
She finally got to the OR around 2:15 p.m. The operation took about one hour. The Dr. told us that everything went fine and that the melanoma was not deep and he did not have to do a skin graft. He did take one lymph node on the upper thigh just to have it tested and be sure that it had not spread. All test show negative for advancement in the lymph system.
While waiting for Mom to come out of recovery, we got a call from the recovery nurse telling us that she would be moved to CCU because she was having some chest pain. She did not realize that the Dr. had not been out to tell us this. The Dr. appeared about 30 minutes later to fill us in. Mom's BP was a little high in recovery but the EKG was normal and they wanted to run blood gas and enzyme (or enzynine as the Dr. pronounced it) test as well as echo-cardiogram and monitor her overnight. When we got in to see her the pain was gone and she said it was more like indigestion than anything else. They did have her on a nitro drip but were already weaning her from it. All other vitals were normal so we hope and believe that this was either after effects from the anesthesia or from high blood pressure.
Mom was thankful that the surgery was successful. We told the nurse to make sure that a sterile protocol was observed because we all developed nasty infections the last time we were there and since Mom has a titanium bionic hip which attracts nasty bugs double up on the hand washing and glove wearing. She assured us that they would. Then Mom in her lovely compassionate way, told the nurse how much a blessing her broken hip was. She said, "I never would have known that I had the melanoma or sleep apnea if I had not broken my hip." I guess Mom drank the half full glass and I drank the rest. She is still teaching and I am still learning. Thanks Mom! We love you Mom. We had prayer with Mom and let her rest.
Nancy will be by to tuck her in. The visiting hours are tight so we will have to abide by them unless I can snag some scrubs and a stethoscope. I do know the Hospitalist protocol and all the questions and procedures. Jamie will stay with Dad tonight. We will play the rest by ear...we are used to it.
Thanks to Andy Hall for keeping Dad company while Tom's memorial service was being held and for dropping by to check on us at the hospital.

Thank you for your continued prayer.

God is good!

Monday

Charlotte and I took Adalynn to see Mom and Dad Sunday evening. She demonstrated all of her new skills and entertained them with song and dance. Throw away the prescriptions a dose of hugs and kisses from Adi will cure all ills.

Mom will be having surgery on her foot tomorrow. It should be outpatient if everything goes as planned. She will require general anesthetic which bothers me a little but they will be taking quite a bit of tissue and checking surrounding lymph nodes. Jamie is planning to come up for the day to be with Mom during surgery and recovery.

Jamie and I had hoped to be able to attend the memorial service for Tom but it doesn't look like either of us will be able to. Cindy and Suzanne may be able to make up the Jones proxy.

Once again we are leaning you for prayer for Mom and the Logues.

God is good.

Sunday

For those who knew him, we have lost a great friend, an incredible man, compassionate soul, tenacious defender of the oppressed, courageous warrior against injustice, definition of endurance, conveyor of God's everlasting grace, short in stature but a giant in integrity and character. Live in peace Tom, we will miss you.


Tom J. Logue Ph.D.
October 8, 1921 - March 6, 2010
Tom J. Logue, Ph.D., passed from this life on March 06, 2010. He was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Ethel Louise Garrott Logue; sons Tommy Jasper Logue, Jr. and John William Logue; parents, Thomas and Maggie Logue of Waco, Texas; brothers, Dr. Joseph Logue of Denton, Texas and Judge Bill Logue of Waco, Texas; sisters, Dorothy Rush of Waco, Texas and Elizabeth Hightower of Livingston, Texas.

Surviving family members are daughter Louise Logue of Little Rock; son Tim Logue and wife Gina Baratta of Hillsborough, North Carolina; granddaughter, Amy Tilson Buckley and husband Robert of Little Rock; sister, Helen Carll of Bloomington, Indiana and many adoring nieces and nephews.

Logue served with the 102nd General Hospital in Europe during WWII. He received his BA and MA from Baylor University, and his BD and Ph.D. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Logue served as citywide Baptist Student Director for Memphis, Tennessee from 1951-1955 and as State Director of Baptist Student Union of Arkansas from 1955-1987. Logue served as founding coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Arkansas from 1991-2005.

After retirement from student work, Logue was a frequent conference and retreat speaker and the author of a book on grief, God Could You Talk a Little Louder? The story traces his family’s pilgrimage through the lingering illness and death of his eldest son, Tommy.

Logue received the Brooks Hayes Memorial Christian Citizenship Award in 1990 for his selfless service as a devoted Christian leader in Arkansas. Tom’s ministry to untold hundreds and thousands of Arkansas college students on campuses all over the state has been described as a worthy model for all believers.

During Logue’s tenure as Director of the Student Department of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, new Baptist Student Unions were established on more than a dozen college campuses, Baptist Student Centers were built on twelve campuses and two centers were enlarged.

Logue’s proudest moment however came when 400 students attending the annual Baptist Student Union Convention in Jonesboro during the Central High School racial crisis, passed, with only one dissenting vote, a resolution that said, “We believe that the Christian position in the matter of race relations includes the teaching and example of Jesus regarding the equal worth of all individuals…and abstaining from and discouraging violence in the settlement of any differences.”

A private burial service will be held at Forest Hills Memorial Park. A celebration of Tom’s life will take place at Second Baptist Church, 8th and Scott in downtown Little Rock, Tuesday March 9th at 1:30 p.m.. The family will receive friends and visitors from 5:00-7:00 p.m., Monday evening at Roller Chenal Funeral Home (224-8300).

Pallbearers and honorary pallbearers: Dickie Boyles, Windy Burke, Jim Caldwell, Darrell Coleman, Gerald Cound, William Echols, Elmer Goble, Winston Hardman, Jamie Jones, Jack Kimbrell, Frank Martin, Buddy Melton and Reza Mobarak.

Memorials may be made to Second Baptist Church, 222 East 8th St. Little Rock, Arkansas 72202, UAMS Family Home, 4300 W. Markham, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, Central Arkansas Chapter of Muscular Dystrophy Association, 204 Executive Court, Suite 208, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, and Heifer International, 1 World Avenue, Little Rock, Arkansas 72202.

If you would like to leave a message for Louise or Tim, the following link provides an opportunity to do so. (You will have to cut and paste in a new browser address window.)

http://www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/services.asp?locid=17&page=odetail&id=19718


God is good!

Saturday

Sorry this is so brief.

Just got word that Tom Logue passed away today.
I don't know any details yet, I think that Tim who had been staying with him had just left to go back home.

Remember Louise and Tim in your prayers tonight.

We have lost a very dear friend and ambassador for Christ.

God is good!

Wednesday

Mom will be having outpatient surgery next Friday to remove more tissue on her foot. The doctor will also be checking lymph nodes to make sure that the melanoma has not spread. He is not expecting to find anything but we want to make sure. She will have to be off her feet for a couple of weeks so we are ramping up the assistance during her convalescence.

Dad continues to do well and we are looking forward to warmer weather so we can get out of the cabin!

Thanks to all of you who continue to check this blog even though my updates have been very sporadic at best. For those of you who have left comments, I have passed them along to Mom and Dad. They really appreciate your continued support.

God is Good

February 28

When I arrive this afternoon, Bill was in process of taking Dad for a walk. It was chilly but the sun was shining and there was no wind so it was not bad. Dad said that he didn't feel like he was strong today but he was pickin um up and puttin um down. He didn't walk as far as usual but he sat in the sun for a while while we chatted.

I spent two hours with Mom and Dad this afternoon just visiting and catching up on family and friends. Mom and Dad both look great and were in good form.

Mom had a mole removed from her foot last week and it was diagnosed as a melanoma. She will be going back to the doctor on Tuesday to discuss the next steps which will in all likelihood be to have more of the surrounding tissue removed and analyzed. She has not had any pain and it has not hindered her mobility so far and hopefully we can take care of this expeditiously.

Dad has not had any other episodes of weakness or disorientation since his last visit to the doctor. Maybe the new med is helping, even though the difference between baby asprin and $200 per month prescription is pretty hefty, I guess you get what you pay for.

We had a good visit and quite a few laughs during our time together.
Aunt Kitty (Dad's sister) called while I was there and she read Dad an obituary from someone about her son ( his nephew, my cousin), Tom who passed away on the 22nd of a heart attack. Tom was a larger than life "character" just like his mother and dad and for that matter his whole family. He will be dearly missed. Tom and Dana were faithful readers of this blog and faithful in their support and prayer during Mom and Dad's ordeal.

Some of my fondest memories of childhood visits to Alabama were on the Hobb's farm. I always loved our winter visits there because I knew we would get to go squirrel hunting on their farm.

I didn't realize it until after Tom's transition that Dana had been blogging about Tom's condition since last July. Dana is a much better blogger than I am and I am still reading the early entries. It is a beautiful expression of their journey through the last months of Tom's illness and their steadfast love for each other, their family and God. I will link it to this blog for those interested.

Dad's weekend caretaker Bill will be traveling to Little Rock in the morning to have an oncology evaluation on his wife. Please remember them in your prayers. They are facing many challenges at this time.

God is good.

Sunday

I picked up Mom around 7am at the lab. I think the paper work took longer than the actual study. Perhaps they should let them fill out the paper work before they start the study because it would put everyone to sleep. She said that she doesn't think she slept much but they told her that she slept long enough to get a result. We won't know what that is until later.
Dad said that he didn't sleep much, but he was snoring when I left to pick Mom up.

Mom and Dad are trying a new arrangement with the aides this week. We are going part time, 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening. I asked them to practice as if there were no aide for the remainder of the week, but I don't think they did. Mom is back to doing most of the cooking but will leave the house work to the aide. I have tried to instruct them on the safest way of doing things without assistance so I hope they will be okay.

Pray for them this week.

God is good.

Thursday

I am spending the night with Dad tonight while Mom is at the "sleep" lab. Having spent a night at the lab myself, I hope Mom gets more sleep than I did.

Mom and Dad are doing well and are adjusting to apartment living. Mom is having to learn how to cook on an electric range but seems to be figuring it out.

Chanetta has returned to Pine Bluff and will not be back. She was such a wonderful nurse and companion during the most difficult time while Mom was recovering. We will miss her. Her absence has presented a new challenge in that we will have to decide how to proceed from here. We are still using an agency but it is very expensive and much of the time they are with Mom and Dad is wasted. We would like to find someone who can provide the assistance they need when they need it. We are praying for a solution and trust God will provide as He has during the last year. If anyone has had any experience or has and idea, we are love to hear from you.

God is good.

Friday...Happy Re-Birthday

Happy Birthday Dad!
Today is Dad's 87th Birthday and the 1st Anniversary of his by-pass surgery.

We hope you all have had a blessed holiday season and wish for you God's continued blessing during 2010.

In many ways 2009 was a very long year and in other ways it has flown by. So many life changes and challenges for many members of the Jones clan as well as our family of friends.

For me, the events of this year were both energizing and exhausting. About the time one adrenaline surge was subsiding, another stimulus required a response. Each new adventure into jeopardy or adjustment to a modification in life's pilgrimage demanded more epinephrine until finally the benefits of these hormones ceased and I had to rely on sheer will and the wonderful assistance of my siblings (especially Nancy), Charlotte and our terrific children (especially Nathan) as well as so many friends and the "angels" that seem to appear with solutions at the most desparate of times.

We have experienced countless periods uncertainty and feelings of inadequacy this year and for me, pangs of guilt due to these deficiencies. But perhaps the regret I rue the most is my inability to express gratitude or make recompense to the level deserved by those mentioned above (especially our Heavenly Father).

God really made life simple. Creator and created. We are the ones who make it complex and pretentious by trying to fill a role we were never meant to play. So humbly, I once again bid you a simple thank you.

Philippians 4
6-7 - Don't worry over anything whatever; tell God every detail of your needs in earnest and thankful prayer, and the peace of God which transcends human understanding, will keep constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 54
[6] With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to thee;
I will give thanks to thy name, O LORD, for it is good.
[7] For thou hast delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.

God is good!